July 20, 2025 Sunday Worship Service
Prelude
Call to Worship Psalm 118:21
Hymn JBC# 513 Walking in sunlight, all of my journey
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC# 278 There’s within my heart a melody
Offering
Scripture Acts 4:1~22
Prayer
Sermon “The name by which we must be saved”
Prayer
Hymn JBC # 81 God, our Father, we adore Thee!
Doxology JBC # 671
Benediction
Postlude
Welcome & Announcements
In today’s Bible passage, we see Peter and John continuing to talk to the people.
There was a man who was lame from birth, who was always laid at the gate to the temple in order to receive alms. Peter healed him in the name of Jesus Christ.
Through this miracle, Peter showed the people gathered around that this man was made strong by the name of Jesus Christ.
They also explained to the people that Jesus Christ was killed by man, but also resurrected.
Peter said, “You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead.” (Acts 3:15)
In order to atone for the sins of man, Christ died (was killed) on the cross. Therefore, each one of us crucified Christ.
But Peter said (in the verse immediately preceding today's passage) that God intended, by sending Jesus into the world as God's servant, that through him (Christ) each of us might receive blessings (3:26).
In Christ there is true blessing.
When good things happen, we celebrate together, rejoice and bless each other.
Whether it’s a birthday, getting accepted into a school, or when something we desired comes to pass, we bless each other.
It would be nice if situations where we could bless each other just constantly occurred, but it is not the case that only things we can celebrate always happen.
However, through Jesus Christ’s cross, death, and resurrection, God has given us His unconditional love.
Through Christ, it has been clearly known to us and proven that “you are loved” and that “you are so precious to me (God).”
God’s love and grace, as well as the forgiveness of sin are all communicated through Christ.
That grace and blessing is given to each one of us. God is always blessing us with Christ’s grace.
Through Christ we are shown that God’s love is unconditional (not dependent on our efforts or achievements) and that it is always being poured out upon us.
Therefore, those who have been shown the grace of Christ can live in joy and thanksgiving for Christ’s blessings. Let us be grateful that such a way of joy has been prepared.
In today’s passage, the priests, captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees come to capture and arrest Peter and John as they were talking to the people.
They were upset that Peter and John were evangelizing about Christ’s resurrection, so they arrested them.
Particularly the Sadducees did not believe in resurrection and therefore rejected that teaching.
The priests also likely felt angry that Peter and John were preaching that the man that they had executed on the cross had resurrected.
However, in verse 4 of today’s passage, we see that about 5,000 people believed after hearing Peter and John speak.
Peter and John were arrested and thrown into prison. They were robbed of their freedom. But through them speaking about Jesus Christ’s resurrection, many people’s hearts were drawn to belief in Christ and changed.
In this way the truth will spread without fail.
No matter how hard people may try to silence the word of God, God’s power is what truly gives people hope and strength, so the truth of the Word cannot be made powerless by the power or evil intent of man.
We can receive the same powerful word of God through the Bible now. Is this not reassuring?
Through the Word of the Bible, we can live while being strengthened in the midst of difficulties.
In verses 5-6, we see that the next day the rulers, elders, teachers of the law, as well as the family of the high priest gathered. It was a gathering of all the Jewish authorities.
Peter and John were standing in the middle of all these authority figures. I wonder if they were afraid.
They may have felt some fear being surrounded and questioned by all these authority figures. However, Peter had a powerful supporter.
Verse 8 states “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them”
In what would normally be a very frightening experience standing in the middle of many authority figures, God’s Holy Spirit filled Peter, giving him words to speak. The Holy Spirit was given to Peter as a powerful helper.
The resurrected Jesus told His disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you” (Acts 1:8)
This promise is being fulfilled in today’s passage.
We also can receive help and guidance from the Holy Spirit.
In the midst of hardships, when we do not know what to do or what to say, the Holy Spirit will teach us what to do and say.
In order to receive this help from the Holy Spirit, let us familiarize ourselves with the words of the Bible, keep experiencing and have conviction that God is speaking to us even now and giving us power through His Word.
The Holy Spirit is working in the living word of God, and will surely strengthen us when we need it.
In verse 11, Peter cites the scriptures (a verse from Psalms 118:22).
Jesus is
“‘the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the cornerstone.’
“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone”.
This is what it means.
The builders (people who build homes as a profession), viewed a stone as being useless as a cornerstone (a stone placed in the corner of a building’s foundation) and discarded it. Jesus Christ is being compared to this stone.
Just a stone that was thought to be unfit, Jesus was scorned, denied, ridiculed, and finally crucified by people.
However, Peter states that because He is such a person (and only in Him) people can find salvation. Our salvation is found in the One who was considered “useless” and abandoned by others.
This is because Jesus Christ, who died (was slain) on the cross, was the Son of God, the One equal to God, the One who was sent into the world to bear the sins of all of us human beings and to forgive us.
In the verse 12 in today’s scripture written is it.
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (v.12)
It is by the name of Jesus Christ who died on the cross and who resurrected from the dead that we are saved. There is no other way.
On this truth (salvation is only in Christ) we Christians and the Christian Church can continue to stand. We will continue to speak this truth.
Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, preached powerfully because he was confident in salvation in Christ. That power and boldness was enough to surprise the rulers, as stated in verse 13.
The rulers, priests, and teachers of the law that surrounded Peter and John were specialists in Judaism and religious authorities.
However, Peter’s words were far bolder and more powerful even than their (human’s) authority.
The resurrected Christ filled Peter’s heart through the Holy Spirit, strengthening him and giving him words to speak.
In the end, the rulers threatened Peter to “not speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus from now.”
However, Peter had a surprising response to their threat.
“Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”(v.19～20)
This is a truly bold and Spirit-filled statement. It is also filled with the love of God.
Peter is not saying this to unilaterally defeat his opponent, but instead asks them if it is better to obey God or to obey them (people), and he leaves it up to them to decide.
Is it right before God to obey people (succumb to people’s threat) rather than obey God? Please think about that carefully.
Peter is showing consideration and respect to the people he is speaking to by asking them to think carefully, reflecting on their own conscience to make a decision on what is right.
Peter is not trying to defeat them (like the rulers, elders, and teachers of the law imprisoned Peter), but is calling out to them trusting in the truth, love, and power of Christ.
It is right for us to obey God, not people. That is the truth in today’s passage that believers should protect in faith.
However, faith that “obeying God is right” is not something that we can use to look down on others, exclude others, or force upon others in our way.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, in His great love and infinite patience, continually speaks to us whose heart is so stubborn.
Even now Jesus desires that we choose to live rightly before God.
However, in reality there are times (or often times) God shows us our own heart that we fail to obey God, live in a self-centered way, and we even try to get our own way at the cost of others.
For those of us who have received the tremendous sacrificial atonement of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross, let us repent (return to God) each time we sin.
And let us resolve to walk with God, rejoicing and thanking Him for forgiving us.
Saturday, July 12, 2025
Sunday Worship Service July 13, 2025
Prelude
Call to Worship Nahum 1:7
Hymn JBC # 134 Sing them over again to me
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC # 278 There’s within my heart a melody
Offering
Scripture Acts 3:17～26
Prayer
Sermon “To bless each of you”
Prayer
Hymn JBC # 104 There shall be showers of blessing
Doxology JBC # 671
Benediction
Postlude
In today's Bible passage, Peter, an apostle (disciple) of Christ, was speaking to the people.
In the scene preceding today's passage, a man who had been lame from birth was healed, stood up and leapt to his feet, even praising God.
The lame man who was always begging for alms at the temple had his leg healed and was able to stand up through the "name of Jesus Christ" that Peter spoke to him.
Those who had known the lame man since before assumed that Peter had healed him by his own power, but Peter clearly denied it.
Since it was Peter who had told the man the name of Jesus, he probably could have been a little proud of himself.
But Peter did not feel like to boast about the miracle that happened - a lame man who stood up and even leaped.
Peter told the people “Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?” (verse 12).
What Peter clearly communicated there was that "what raised him up and strengthened him was the name of Jesus Christ, the power and grace of Christ."
Believers who believe in Christ and live by His power and grace know that the name of Christ is the true source of power.
And believers who live by the power and grace of Christ never boast themselves.
Because Christians want God's name to be glorified and only God's name to be exalted, for that is a blessing for Christians.
I hope that in our church too, God's name will be exalted so that our worship, praise, prayers, and faith will not boast in ourselves, but will glorify the Lord God of Jesus Christ and demonstrate our faith and gratitude to God.
In today's passage, Peter's message (sermon) goes to the heart of that - who Jesus Christ is and what He did.
Peter already said in the previous passage: "You killed him who was the Author of life (Christ), but God raised him up" (verse 15).
He says "You killed him who was the Author of life.”
When Jesus was arrested, Peter denied him three times, saying, "I don't know that man," even though he is Jesus' first disciple.
So we can be sure that Peter included himself when he said, "whom you killed."
In the same way, today we are encouraged to accept the death of Jesus Christ, who was crucified, as something related to ourselves.
In today's passage, Peter says the following. Let's read the first verse of today's passage, verse 17.
17 “Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders.
Peter says, "In ignorance you (we) crucified Christ; you did these things because you did not know."
What didn't they know?
They did not know that Jesus Christ was sent from God.
They also did not know (or were unwilling to acknowledge) that they had deep sins within themselves that need to be forgiven.
Jesus Himself said this while on the cross when He was crucified:
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)
Those who crucified Jesus, and actually all of us, did not know that in Him there is true life, that He is the one who can free us from the slavery of sin and make us free.
Because of such ignorance, not knowing this important truth, the people ended up crucifying Jesus.
But God transformed such evil in people into an amazing act of grace.
Let's read verse 18.
18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer.
Since the time of the Old Testament prophets (those who were entrusted with God's word), it has been said that the Messiah (Christ, Savior) would suffer.
The Old Testament Book of Isaiah, Chapter 53, describes in detail the "suffering and death of the servant of the Lord." It says that the servant of the Lord will suffer, bearing the sickness and pain of the people.
To understand why the Lord's Servant, Jesus Christ, had to be crucified and die, it is essential to listen to the Word of God from Isaiah chapter 53.
Today, I’d like to invite everyone to listen to Isaiah 53:4-5 together.
Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
I hope that each of you will take a moment to reflect upon the entire chapter of Isaiah 53 and the cross of Christ.
Jesus died on the cross so that he could bear the sins of us all and our sicknesses and sufferings.
Our greatest ignorance is not knowing such a merciful and true God.
Or it is our stubbornness in refusing to acknowledge the true God even when it is made known to us, and in refusing to recognize God's sovereignty and authority.
And we cannot solve this stubbornness that refuses to acknowledge God's authority on our own.
Our sins of stubbornness and arrogance can only be changed by God.
In the Book of Ezekiel 11:19-20 of the Old Testament, God said through a prophet named Ezekiel:
19 I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. 20 Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.
These were the words spoken through Ezekiel to the people of Israel who had been driven out of their homeland and taken captive in Babylon.
God will eventually bring the people of Israel out of captivity and return them to their homeland, Israel, and at that time He will give them a new spirit, remove their stony heart (their hardened hearts) and give them a heart of flesh (presumably meaning a soft, loving heart).
When God gives us a new spirit, our hearts of stone (hardened hearts) are removed by the love of Christ, and a heart of flesh, a soft heart of love, is given to us by Christ.
By receiving Jesus Christ into our hearts and believing in Him, God will break our stubborn hearts, make us aware of our sins, and lead us to be thankful and rejoice that our sins have been forgiven by Christ.
Through Christ, we can have our hardened hearts of stone changed, be broken and humbled, and become God's people who keep His Word and live according to it.
We wish to keep in mind the blessing of receiving a new spirit through Christ, having our hearts changed, and becoming God's people.
"In your ignorance you did this (crucified Christ)," said Peter.
The people did not know that Christ was sent from God and did not know about their own sins.
And there is another thing that they did not know, that they were ignorant of, which is mentioned in today's passage.
Let's read verse 25. These are the words given to Abraham, who is said to be the father of the faith of the Israelites, in the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament.
‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’
Next, we will read verse 26, the last verse of today's passage.
26 When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”
These words show that God wants to bless us “all nations”, “each one”.
In verse 25, "your offspring” here refers to Christ, and in verse 26, "His Servant" also refers to Christ.
God has willed that through Christ all the nations of the earth may be blessed, and that "each one of you may be blessed."
God cares about each and every one of us, not “all together, all at once”, and the Bible tells us that we are precious before God.
God wants to bless each and every one of us. God is so pleased with our existence, our lives.
God's plan for each of us is to turn away from an evil state (of not knowing or acknowledging God) and to receive God's abundant blessings by acknowledging God and believing in Christ.
God is the Creator who created everything in the heavens and the earth. We can easily imagine how small an individual human being is in this vast world and in the universe.
However, when we realize that God wants to bless each and every one of us even though we are so small, we can find the strength and hope to live.
The following verse from the Bible is always true:
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
Let us receive God's abundant blessings through Christ. Let us rejoice with our lives that’s in God's blessings.
Let us be thankful that Christ bore (and still bears) our pain and suffering on the cross.
Let’s live a blessed life of faith, supported by Christ, believing in Christ and following Christ.
Prelude
Call to Worship Nahum 1:7
Hymn JBC # 134 Sing them over again to me
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC # 278 There’s within my heart a melody
Offering
Scripture Acts 3:17～26
Prayer
Sermon “To bless each of you”
Prayer
Hymn JBC # 104 There shall be showers of blessing
Doxology JBC # 671
Benediction
Postlude
In today's Bible passage, Peter, an apostle (disciple) of Christ, was speaking to the people.
In the scene preceding today's passage, a man who had been lame from birth was healed, stood up and leapt to his feet, even praising God.
The lame man who was always begging for alms at the temple had his leg healed and was able to stand up through the "name of Jesus Christ" that Peter spoke to him.
Those who had known the lame man since before assumed that Peter had healed him by his own power, but Peter clearly denied it.
Since it was Peter who had told the man the name of Jesus, he probably could have been a little proud of himself.
But Peter did not feel like to boast about the miracle that happened - a lame man who stood up and even leaped.
Peter told the people “Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?” (verse 12).
What Peter clearly communicated there was that "what raised him up and strengthened him was the name of Jesus Christ, the power and grace of Christ."
Believers who believe in Christ and live by His power and grace know that the name of Christ is the true source of power.
And believers who live by the power and grace of Christ never boast themselves.
Because Christians want God's name to be glorified and only God's name to be exalted, for that is a blessing for Christians.
I hope that in our church too, God's name will be exalted so that our worship, praise, prayers, and faith will not boast in ourselves, but will glorify the Lord God of Jesus Christ and demonstrate our faith and gratitude to God.
In today's passage, Peter's message (sermon) goes to the heart of that - who Jesus Christ is and what He did.
Peter already said in the previous passage: "You killed him who was the Author of life (Christ), but God raised him up" (verse 15).
He says "You killed him who was the Author of life.”
When Jesus was arrested, Peter denied him three times, saying, "I don't know that man," even though he is Jesus' first disciple.
So we can be sure that Peter included himself when he said, "whom you killed."
In the same way, today we are encouraged to accept the death of Jesus Christ, who was crucified, as something related to ourselves.
In today's passage, Peter says the following. Let's read the first verse of today's passage, verse 17.
17 “Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders.
Peter says, "In ignorance you (we) crucified Christ; you did these things because you did not know."
What didn't they know?
They did not know that Jesus Christ was sent from God.
They also did not know (or were unwilling to acknowledge) that they had deep sins within themselves that need to be forgiven.
Jesus Himself said this while on the cross when He was crucified:
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)
Those who crucified Jesus, and actually all of us, did not know that in Him there is true life, that He is the one who can free us from the slavery of sin and make us free.
Because of such ignorance, not knowing this important truth, the people ended up crucifying Jesus.
But God transformed such evil in people into an amazing act of grace.
Let's read verse 18.
18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer.
Since the time of the Old Testament prophets (those who were entrusted with God's word), it has been said that the Messiah (Christ, Savior) would suffer.
The Old Testament Book of Isaiah, Chapter 53, describes in detail the "suffering and death of the servant of the Lord." It says that the servant of the Lord will suffer, bearing the sickness and pain of the people.
To understand why the Lord's Servant, Jesus Christ, had to be crucified and die, it is essential to listen to the Word of God from Isaiah chapter 53.
Today, I’d like to invite everyone to listen to Isaiah 53:4-5 together.
Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
I hope that each of you will take a moment to reflect upon the entire chapter of Isaiah 53 and the cross of Christ.
Jesus died on the cross so that he could bear the sins of us all and our sicknesses and sufferings.
Our greatest ignorance is not knowing such a merciful and true God.
Or it is our stubbornness in refusing to acknowledge the true God even when it is made known to us, and in refusing to recognize God's sovereignty and authority.
And we cannot solve this stubbornness that refuses to acknowledge God's authority on our own.
Our sins of stubbornness and arrogance can only be changed by God.
In the Book of Ezekiel 11:19-20 of the Old Testament, God said through a prophet named Ezekiel:
19 I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. 20 Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.
These were the words spoken through Ezekiel to the people of Israel who had been driven out of their homeland and taken captive in Babylon.
God will eventually bring the people of Israel out of captivity and return them to their homeland, Israel, and at that time He will give them a new spirit, remove their stony heart (their hardened hearts) and give them a heart of flesh (presumably meaning a soft, loving heart).
When God gives us a new spirit, our hearts of stone (hardened hearts) are removed by the love of Christ, and a heart of flesh, a soft heart of love, is given to us by Christ.
By receiving Jesus Christ into our hearts and believing in Him, God will break our stubborn hearts, make us aware of our sins, and lead us to be thankful and rejoice that our sins have been forgiven by Christ.
Through Christ, we can have our hardened hearts of stone changed, be broken and humbled, and become God's people who keep His Word and live according to it.
We wish to keep in mind the blessing of receiving a new spirit through Christ, having our hearts changed, and becoming God's people.
"In your ignorance you did this (crucified Christ)," said Peter.
The people did not know that Christ was sent from God and did not know about their own sins.
And there is another thing that they did not know, that they were ignorant of, which is mentioned in today's passage.
Let's read verse 25. These are the words given to Abraham, who is said to be the father of the faith of the Israelites, in the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament.
‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’
Next, we will read verse 26, the last verse of today's passage.
26 When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”
These words show that God wants to bless us “all nations”, “each one”.
In verse 25, "your offspring” here refers to Christ, and in verse 26, "His Servant" also refers to Christ.
God has willed that through Christ all the nations of the earth may be blessed, and that "each one of you may be blessed."
God cares about each and every one of us, not “all together, all at once”, and the Bible tells us that we are precious before God.
God wants to bless each and every one of us. God is so pleased with our existence, our lives.
God's plan for each of us is to turn away from an evil state (of not knowing or acknowledging God) and to receive God's abundant blessings by acknowledging God and believing in Christ.
God is the Creator who created everything in the heavens and the earth. We can easily imagine how small an individual human being is in this vast world and in the universe.
However, when we realize that God wants to bless each and every one of us even though we are so small, we can find the strength and hope to live.
The following verse from the Bible is always true:
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
Let us receive God's abundant blessings through Christ. Let us rejoice with our lives that’s in God's blessings.
Let us be thankful that Christ bore (and still bears) our pain and suffering on the cross.
Let’s live a blessed life of faith, supported by Christ, believing in Christ and following Christ.
2025年7月13日 主日礼拝
前奏
招詞 ナホム書1章7節
賛美 新生讃美歌 134番 生命のみことば たえにくすし
主の祈り
賛美 新生讃美歌 278番 わが心は歌わん
献金
聖句 使徒言行録3章17～26節
祈祷
宣教 「あなたがた一人一人を祝福にあずからせるために」
祈祷
賛美 新生讃美歌 104番 雨を降り注ぎ
頌栄 新生讃美歌671番
祝祷
後奏
歓迎・案内
今日の聖書箇所では、キリストの使徒（弟子）であったペトロが、人々に向かって話をしています。
今日の箇所の前までの場面で、生まれつき足の不自由だった人が癒されて、立ち上がり躍り上がって、神を賛美するようになりました。
神殿で、いつも人から施しを乞うていた、その足が不自由だった人は、ペトロから伝えられた“イエス・キリストの名”によって、足が癒されて立ちあがることができるようになりました。
その足の不自由な人を以前から知っていた人々は、まるでペトロが自分の力でその人を癒したかのように思いました。しかし、ペトロはそのことをはっきりと否定しました。
その人にイエス様の名を伝えたのは自分だったのですから、ペトロは、少しは自分を誇ろうと思えばできたかもしれません。
しかしペトロは、その足の不自由な人が立ち上がり、躍り上がるほどまでに変えられた出来事で、自分のことを誇ろうとはしませんでした。
ペトロは人々に“自分の力や人の信心が、その足の不自由だった人を立ち上がらせたのではない（なぜそのように、わたしたちを見つめるのですか）”、と言いました。（12節）
ペトロがそこではっきりと伝えたのは、“その人を立ち上がらせた、強くしたのは、イエス・キリストの名、キリストの力であり、恵みである”ということでした。
キリストを信じ、キリストの力と恵によって生きている信仰者は、キリストの名こそが、本当の力の源泉であることを知っています。
そしてキリストの力と恵みによって生きている信仰者は、決して自分を誇ろうとはしないのです。
キリスト者は、神の名が崇められ、神の名だけが高められることを願うからです。神の名が崇められることこそが、キリスト者にとっての幸いであるからです。
私たちの教会でも、神の名が高められるように、私たちの礼拝、賛美、祈りが、私たちの信仰が、自分自身を誇るものではなく、イエス・キリストの主なる神を崇め、神への信仰と感謝を表すものとなるようにと、私は願います。
今日の箇所で、ペトロのメッセージ（説教）はその核心部分へと入っていきます。イエス・キリストがどのようなお方で、何をなさったのか、について彼は語るのです。
ペトロは今日の前の箇所からすでに、「あなたがたは、命への導き手である方（キリスト）を殺してしまった（しかし、神はその方を復活させてくださった）」と言っています（15節）。
“命への導き手であり神であるお方を、あなたがたが殺した”、というのです。
ペトロは、イエス様が捕らえられた時、イエス様のことを“あんな人のことは知らない”と言って、イエス様の一番弟子でありながら、イエス様のことを三度も否定しました。
ですから、彼が言う“あなたがたが、そのお方を殺した”の中に、ペトロは自分自身のことも含めていたことは確かです。
そのように、今の私たちも、十字架にかけられて死んだイエス・キリストの死を、私たち自身のこととして受け止めていくようにと、促されます。
今日の箇所でペトロは次のように言っています。今日の箇所の最初の17節をお読みします。
17ところで、兄弟たち、あなたがたがあんなことをしてしまったのは、指導者たちと同様に無知のためであったと、わたしには分かっています。
“あなたがたが（わたしたちが）キリストを十字架につけたのは、無知のためであった。知らなかったから、あなたがたはあのようなことをしたのだ”、とペトロは言います。
彼らは何を知らなかったのでしょうか。
彼らは、イエス・キリストが神から遣わされたお方であったことを、知りませんでした。
そしてまた、彼ら自身の中に赦されねばならない深い罪がある、ということを知りませんでした（もしくは、それらを認めようとしませんでした）。
イエス様ご自身が、十字架につけられた時、十字架の上で、こうおっしゃいました。
「父よ、彼らをお赦しください。自分が何をしているのか知らないのです。」
（ルカ福音書23章34節）
イエス様を十字架につけた人たちは、また私たちすべての者は、そのお方にこそ真の命があり、そのお方こそが、私たちを罪の奴隷状態から解き放ち私たちを自由にしてくださるお方であることを、知りませんでした。
そのような無知のために、その大切なことを知らずにいたために、イエス様を人々は十字架につけてしまいました。
しかし、神は人のそのような悪をも、驚くほどの恵みの出来事へと変えてくださったのです。
１８節をお読みします。
18しかし、神はすべての預言者の口を通して予告しておられたメシアの苦しみを、このようにして実現なさったのです。
旧約聖書の預言者（神の言葉を預かり伝えた人たち）の時代から、“メシア（キリスト、救い主）は苦しみを受ける”、ということが言われていました。
旧約聖書『イザヤ書』53章には、”主の僕（しもべ）の苦難と死“について、詳しく書かれています。主の僕であるお方が、人々の病、痛みを背負って、苦しまれる、と言うのです。
なぜ主の僕であるお方、すなわちイエス・キリストが十字架にかけられて死なねばならなかったのか、について知るには、イザヤ書53章の言葉を聞くことが欠かせません。
今日ここでは、イザヤ５３章４～５節を共に聞きたいと思います。
彼が担ったのはわたしたちの病／彼が負ったのはわたしたちの痛みであったのに／わたしたちは思っていた／神の手にかかり、打たれたから／彼は苦しんでいるのだ、と。
彼が刺し貫かれたのは／わたしたちの背きのためであり／彼が打ち砕かれたのは／わたしたちの咎のためであった。彼の受けた懲らしめによって／わたしたちに平和が与えられ／彼の受けた傷によって、わたしたちはいやされた。
皆さんそれぞれ、イザヤ書53章全体の言葉と、キリストの十字架とを重ね合わせて、改めて心にとめる時を、持っていただきたいと私は願います。
イエス様が十字架にかかって死なれたのは、それは私たちすべての者の罪を背負い、また私たちの病と苦しみを、イエス様がその身に担ってくださるためでした。
私たちの最大の無知とは、そのような憐れみ深い真の神を知らない、ということです。
または真の神が知らされてもそれを認めようとしない、神の主権と権威を認めないという、私たちの頑なさです。
そして、私たちは、神の権威を認めようとしないその頑なさを、自分で解決することはできません。
わたしたちの頑なさ、傲慢さという罪は、神によって変えていただくしかしかないのです。
旧約聖書の『エゼキエル書』11章19～20節で、エゼキエルという預言者（神の言葉を預かる人）を通して、神が次のように告げました。
19わたしは彼らに一つの心を与え、彼らの中に新しい霊を授ける。わたしは彼らの肉から石の心を除き、肉の心を与える。
20彼らがわたしの掟に従って歩み、わたしの法を守り行うためである。こうして、彼らはわたしの民となり、わたしは彼らの神となる。
これは、自分たちの国を追われ、バビロンに捕囚となっていたイスラエルの民たちに、エゼキエルを通して語られた言葉です。
神がやがてイスラエルの民たちを、囚われの地から故国イスラエルへ連れ戻し、その時、神は彼らに新しい霊を授け、彼らの中から石の心（頑なな心）を除き、肉の心（やわらかい、愛の心という意味でしょう）を与える、と言うのです。
神が新しい霊を私たちに与えてくださる時、石の心（頑なな心）がキリストの御愛によって取り除かれ、肉の心、やわらかい愛の心がキリストによって私たちに与えられるのです。
イエス・キリストを心の中にお迎えし、キリストを信じることにより、神は私たちの頑なな心を砕き、自分の罪を自覚させ、キリストによって罪赦されたことを感謝し喜ぶように、導いてくださいます。
私たちはキリストによって、頑なな石の心を変えていただき、砕かれて謙虚になり、主の言葉を守り、御言葉に従って生きる神の民となることができるのです。
キリストによる新しい霊をいただき、心が変えられ、神の民となることができる幸いを私たちは覚えたいと願います。
“あなたがたは無知のために、あのようなことをした（キリストを十字架につけた）”とペトロは言いました。
人々は、キリストが神から遣わされた方であること、そして彼ら自身の罪について知りませんでした。
そしてもう一つ、今日の箇所で伝えられる、彼らが知らなかったこと、無知であったことがあります。
25節をお読みします。旧約聖書『創世記』の中で、イスラエル民族の信仰の父と言われたアブラハムに与えられた言葉です。
『地上のすべての民族は、あなたから生まれる者によって祝福を受ける』
続けて、今日の箇所最後の節の26節もお読みします。
26それで、神は御自分の僕を立て、まず、あなたがたのもとに遣わしてくださったのです。それは、あなたがた一人一人を悪から離れさせ、その祝福にあずからせるためでした。」
これらの言葉から分かることは、神が私たち“すべての民族に”、“あなたがた一人一人に”祝福を与えようとしてくださっている、ということです。
25節の「あなたから生まれる者」とはキリストのことであり、26節の「御自分の僕」と言われるお方も、キリストのことです。
神は、“キリストを通してこの地上のすべての民族が、祝福を受けるように、そして“あなたがた一人一人が祝福を受けるように”と願ってくださったのです。
神は、私たち一人一人のことを気にかけてくださっているお方です。”みんな一緒に、ざくっとまとめて“ではなく、私たち一人一人が神の前にかけがえのない存在とされていることを、聖書は伝えます。
神は私たち一人一人を祝福したいと願ってくださっています。私たちが生きていること、私たちの存在を神ご自身がそれほどまでに喜んでくださっている、ということです。
（神を知らない、認めない）悪の状態から離れさせ、神を認めて、キリストを信じることによって、神の豊かな祝福を頂くこと、それが神が私たち一人一人に持っておられるご計画です。
神は天地のすべてをお造りになった創造者です。この広い世界、また大宇宙の中で、人間一人がどれほど小さな存在であるかは、私たちは簡単に想像することができます。
しかし、そんなに小さな私たち一人一人を、神は祝福しようとしてくださっていることが分かれば、その時私たちを生きる力と希望を頂くことができます。
次の聖書の言葉は、常に真実です。
「神は、その独り子をお与えになったほどに、世を愛された。独り子を信じる者が一人も滅びないで、永遠の命を得るためである。」（ヨハネ福音書3章16節）
私たちは、キリストを通して、神の祝福を豊かにいただいていきましょう。神の祝福の中で、私たちの命を喜びましょう。
私たちの痛み、苦しみを、キリストが十字架の上で担ってくださった（今も担ってくださっていることを）私たちは感謝いたしましょう。
キリストによって支えられ、キリストを信じキリストに従う、祝福の信仰生活を私たちは送っていきたいと願います。
前奏
招詞 ナホム書1章7節
賛美 新生讃美歌 134番 生命のみことば たえにくすし
主の祈り
賛美 新生讃美歌 278番 わが心は歌わん
献金
聖句 使徒言行録3章17～26節
祈祷
宣教 「あなたがた一人一人を祝福にあずからせるために」
祈祷
賛美 新生讃美歌 104番 雨を降り注ぎ
頌栄 新生讃美歌671番
祝祷
後奏
歓迎・案内
今日の聖書箇所では、キリストの使徒（弟子）であったペトロが、人々に向かって話をしています。
今日の箇所の前までの場面で、生まれつき足の不自由だった人が癒されて、立ち上がり躍り上がって、神を賛美するようになりました。
神殿で、いつも人から施しを乞うていた、その足が不自由だった人は、ペトロから伝えられた“イエス・キリストの名”によって、足が癒されて立ちあがることができるようになりました。
その足の不自由な人を以前から知っていた人々は、まるでペトロが自分の力でその人を癒したかのように思いました。しかし、ペトロはそのことをはっきりと否定しました。
その人にイエス様の名を伝えたのは自分だったのですから、ペトロは、少しは自分を誇ろうと思えばできたかもしれません。
しかしペトロは、その足の不自由な人が立ち上がり、躍り上がるほどまでに変えられた出来事で、自分のことを誇ろうとはしませんでした。
ペトロは人々に“自分の力や人の信心が、その足の不自由だった人を立ち上がらせたのではない（なぜそのように、わたしたちを見つめるのですか）”、と言いました。（12節）
ペトロがそこではっきりと伝えたのは、“その人を立ち上がらせた、強くしたのは、イエス・キリストの名、キリストの力であり、恵みである”ということでした。
キリストを信じ、キリストの力と恵によって生きている信仰者は、キリストの名こそが、本当の力の源泉であることを知っています。
そしてキリストの力と恵みによって生きている信仰者は、決して自分を誇ろうとはしないのです。
キリスト者は、神の名が崇められ、神の名だけが高められることを願うからです。神の名が崇められることこそが、キリスト者にとっての幸いであるからです。
私たちの教会でも、神の名が高められるように、私たちの礼拝、賛美、祈りが、私たちの信仰が、自分自身を誇るものではなく、イエス・キリストの主なる神を崇め、神への信仰と感謝を表すものとなるようにと、私は願います。
今日の箇所で、ペトロのメッセージ（説教）はその核心部分へと入っていきます。イエス・キリストがどのようなお方で、何をなさったのか、について彼は語るのです。
ペトロは今日の前の箇所からすでに、「あなたがたは、命への導き手である方（キリスト）を殺してしまった（しかし、神はその方を復活させてくださった）」と言っています（15節）。
“命への導き手であり神であるお方を、あなたがたが殺した”、というのです。
ペトロは、イエス様が捕らえられた時、イエス様のことを“あんな人のことは知らない”と言って、イエス様の一番弟子でありながら、イエス様のことを三度も否定しました。
ですから、彼が言う“あなたがたが、そのお方を殺した”の中に、ペトロは自分自身のことも含めていたことは確かです。
そのように、今の私たちも、十字架にかけられて死んだイエス・キリストの死を、私たち自身のこととして受け止めていくようにと、促されます。
今日の箇所でペトロは次のように言っています。今日の箇所の最初の17節をお読みします。
17ところで、兄弟たち、あなたがたがあんなことをしてしまったのは、指導者たちと同様に無知のためであったと、わたしには分かっています。
“あなたがたが（わたしたちが）キリストを十字架につけたのは、無知のためであった。知らなかったから、あなたがたはあのようなことをしたのだ”、とペトロは言います。
彼らは何を知らなかったのでしょうか。
彼らは、イエス・キリストが神から遣わされたお方であったことを、知りませんでした。
そしてまた、彼ら自身の中に赦されねばならない深い罪がある、ということを知りませんでした（もしくは、それらを認めようとしませんでした）。
イエス様ご自身が、十字架につけられた時、十字架の上で、こうおっしゃいました。
「父よ、彼らをお赦しください。自分が何をしているのか知らないのです。」
（ルカ福音書23章34節）
イエス様を十字架につけた人たちは、また私たちすべての者は、そのお方にこそ真の命があり、そのお方こそが、私たちを罪の奴隷状態から解き放ち私たちを自由にしてくださるお方であることを、知りませんでした。
そのような無知のために、その大切なことを知らずにいたために、イエス様を人々は十字架につけてしまいました。
しかし、神は人のそのような悪をも、驚くほどの恵みの出来事へと変えてくださったのです。
１８節をお読みします。
18しかし、神はすべての預言者の口を通して予告しておられたメシアの苦しみを、このようにして実現なさったのです。
旧約聖書の預言者（神の言葉を預かり伝えた人たち）の時代から、“メシア（キリスト、救い主）は苦しみを受ける”、ということが言われていました。
旧約聖書『イザヤ書』53章には、”主の僕（しもべ）の苦難と死“について、詳しく書かれています。主の僕であるお方が、人々の病、痛みを背負って、苦しまれる、と言うのです。
なぜ主の僕であるお方、すなわちイエス・キリストが十字架にかけられて死なねばならなかったのか、について知るには、イザヤ書53章の言葉を聞くことが欠かせません。
今日ここでは、イザヤ５３章４～５節を共に聞きたいと思います。
彼が担ったのはわたしたちの病／彼が負ったのはわたしたちの痛みであったのに／わたしたちは思っていた／神の手にかかり、打たれたから／彼は苦しんでいるのだ、と。
彼が刺し貫かれたのは／わたしたちの背きのためであり／彼が打ち砕かれたのは／わたしたちの咎のためであった。彼の受けた懲らしめによって／わたしたちに平和が与えられ／彼の受けた傷によって、わたしたちはいやされた。
皆さんそれぞれ、イザヤ書53章全体の言葉と、キリストの十字架とを重ね合わせて、改めて心にとめる時を、持っていただきたいと私は願います。
イエス様が十字架にかかって死なれたのは、それは私たちすべての者の罪を背負い、また私たちの病と苦しみを、イエス様がその身に担ってくださるためでした。
私たちの最大の無知とは、そのような憐れみ深い真の神を知らない、ということです。
または真の神が知らされてもそれを認めようとしない、神の主権と権威を認めないという、私たちの頑なさです。
そして、私たちは、神の権威を認めようとしないその頑なさを、自分で解決することはできません。
わたしたちの頑なさ、傲慢さという罪は、神によって変えていただくしかしかないのです。
旧約聖書の『エゼキエル書』11章19～20節で、エゼキエルという預言者（神の言葉を預かる人）を通して、神が次のように告げました。
19わたしは彼らに一つの心を与え、彼らの中に新しい霊を授ける。わたしは彼らの肉から石の心を除き、肉の心を与える。
20彼らがわたしの掟に従って歩み、わたしの法を守り行うためである。こうして、彼らはわたしの民となり、わたしは彼らの神となる。
これは、自分たちの国を追われ、バビロンに捕囚となっていたイスラエルの民たちに、エゼキエルを通して語られた言葉です。
神がやがてイスラエルの民たちを、囚われの地から故国イスラエルへ連れ戻し、その時、神は彼らに新しい霊を授け、彼らの中から石の心（頑なな心）を除き、肉の心（やわらかい、愛の心という意味でしょう）を与える、と言うのです。
神が新しい霊を私たちに与えてくださる時、石の心（頑なな心）がキリストの御愛によって取り除かれ、肉の心、やわらかい愛の心がキリストによって私たちに与えられるのです。
イエス・キリストを心の中にお迎えし、キリストを信じることにより、神は私たちの頑なな心を砕き、自分の罪を自覚させ、キリストによって罪赦されたことを感謝し喜ぶように、導いてくださいます。
私たちはキリストによって、頑なな石の心を変えていただき、砕かれて謙虚になり、主の言葉を守り、御言葉に従って生きる神の民となることができるのです。
キリストによる新しい霊をいただき、心が変えられ、神の民となることができる幸いを私たちは覚えたいと願います。
“あなたがたは無知のために、あのようなことをした（キリストを十字架につけた）”とペトロは言いました。
人々は、キリストが神から遣わされた方であること、そして彼ら自身の罪について知りませんでした。
そしてもう一つ、今日の箇所で伝えられる、彼らが知らなかったこと、無知であったことがあります。
25節をお読みします。旧約聖書『創世記』の中で、イスラエル民族の信仰の父と言われたアブラハムに与えられた言葉です。
『地上のすべての民族は、あなたから生まれる者によって祝福を受ける』
続けて、今日の箇所最後の節の26節もお読みします。
26それで、神は御自分の僕を立て、まず、あなたがたのもとに遣わしてくださったのです。それは、あなたがた一人一人を悪から離れさせ、その祝福にあずからせるためでした。」
これらの言葉から分かることは、神が私たち“すべての民族に”、“あなたがた一人一人に”祝福を与えようとしてくださっている、ということです。
25節の「あなたから生まれる者」とはキリストのことであり、26節の「御自分の僕」と言われるお方も、キリストのことです。
神は、“キリストを通してこの地上のすべての民族が、祝福を受けるように、そして“あなたがた一人一人が祝福を受けるように”と願ってくださったのです。
神は、私たち一人一人のことを気にかけてくださっているお方です。”みんな一緒に、ざくっとまとめて“ではなく、私たち一人一人が神の前にかけがえのない存在とされていることを、聖書は伝えます。
神は私たち一人一人を祝福したいと願ってくださっています。私たちが生きていること、私たちの存在を神ご自身がそれほどまでに喜んでくださっている、ということです。
（神を知らない、認めない）悪の状態から離れさせ、神を認めて、キリストを信じることによって、神の豊かな祝福を頂くこと、それが神が私たち一人一人に持っておられるご計画です。
神は天地のすべてをお造りになった創造者です。この広い世界、また大宇宙の中で、人間一人がどれほど小さな存在であるかは、私たちは簡単に想像することができます。
しかし、そんなに小さな私たち一人一人を、神は祝福しようとしてくださっていることが分かれば、その時私たちを生きる力と希望を頂くことができます。
次の聖書の言葉は、常に真実です。
「神は、その独り子をお与えになったほどに、世を愛された。独り子を信じる者が一人も滅びないで、永遠の命を得るためである。」（ヨハネ福音書3章16節）
私たちは、キリストを通して、神の祝福を豊かにいただいていきましょう。神の祝福の中で、私たちの命を喜びましょう。
私たちの痛み、苦しみを、キリストが十字架の上で担ってくださった（今も担ってくださっていることを）私たちは感謝いたしましょう。
キリストによって支えられ、キリストを信じキリストに従う、祝福の信仰生活を私たちは送っていきたいと願います。
Saturday, July 5, 2025
Sunday Worship Service July 6, 2025
Prelude
Call to Worship Malachi 4:2
Hymn JBC # 507 He leadeth me! O blessed tho’t!
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC # 278 There’s within my heart a melody
The Prayer Time
Offering
Scripture Acts 3:1～16
Prayer
Sermon “Be glory to his servant Jesus”
Prayer
Hymn JBC # 626 I gave My life for thee
Doxology JBC # 671
Benediction
Postlude
Today’s Bible passage starts with these words:
11 While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. (v.11)
The place mentioned here was Jerusalem’s temple. Peter and John were direct disciples of Jesus Christ, two of the group of disciples called the Twelve Apostles.
They came to take up a central role amongst the group of believers (the church) after Jesus Christ’s death on the cross, His resurrection and ascension to Heaven.
We first meet the man who was said to be “holding on to Peter and John” in the passage before today’s scripture reading.
This was the man who had been lame since birth, but was healed and became able to walk through his encounter with Peter and John.
This man was a beggar who, since he was born unable to walk, would always be carried and set down beside the temple gates where he would receive alms from passers-by.
He looked at Peter and John as they were going to enter the temple and, hoping to receive money, he begged them for alms. Peter told him this:
“Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” (v.6)
Having said this, Peter took him by the right hand, and the man stood up. The man’s legs were healed, he stood up straight and began dancing and praising God.
This brings us back to today’s passage, where the man who had been lame was healed, and “held on to Peter and John”.
The expression “hold on to” is normally not a positive one very much. “Hold on to” means to grab on to and not let go.
Although the man would have known that it was “in the name of Jesus Christ” that his legs were healed, he may have upheld Peter and John, who spoke the name of Jesus to him, as people of special importance, and maybe even respected or revered them.
And so, he was clinging on to Peter and John and couldn’t leave their side, and was holding on to them.
Perhaps the man was thinking “If you (Peter and John) are always near me, then I will be okay from now on”.
Today’s passage starts from where Peter is talking to the crowd that has gathered around them.
Peter is starting to tell them about what made it possible for this man who was born lame to be healed, for his legs to become stronger and for him to stand up and be dancing around.
First off, Peter tells them “It was not our (Peter and John’s) power that healed this man.”
This is what people were thinking. They were thinking that Peter and John must have some special power, and that is how the man’s legs were healed.
This is why Peter tells them:
“Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? (v.12)
It is a wondrous thing, that a man who had been lame since birth was able to stand up, that he was freed from his long years of suffering.
But, Peter did not want people to focus solely on the fact that his legs were healed and that he could walk, or on the impression that they had healed him.
Peter tells them of the One who makes such things possible, of the One who they all must know.
That One is Jesus Christ. As is written in verse 16, it is “by faith in the name of Jesus”, and the “faith that comes through Him”.
It is the faith that Jesus gives us that makes wonderful miracles happen. It is never by the power of man.
And so, if there is anyone who we should “hold on to”, anyone that we must “cling on” to, that person is Jesus Christ.
Today’s passage teaches us that we should not depend on or cling to any outstanding person, thing or money, but it is the Lord Jesus Christ that we should depend on and cling to.
In verse 13 of today’s passage, Peter says:
13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go.
The God who is made known to us through Jesus Christ is the “God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”. The God of the Bible is the God who, throughout history, chose the Israelites and revealed Himself to them.
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were names well known to the Jews as the names of their ancestors of faith.
Even for us now through the Bible (the Old Testament), we can see how God revealed Himself to Abraham and the ancestors of the Israelites.
It seems that some people have the impression that the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament are different gods, however the Bible tells us clearly that there is only one God.
The One who created Heaven, who created all the living things on earth, the One who revealed Himself to Abraham, to his son Isaac and to his son Jacob, is the same God as the One who revealed Himself as Jesus Christ, the one true God.
Let’s read verse 13 once more.
13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go.
Here, Jesus is called “his servant Jesus”, meaning that Jesus Christ was God’s servant.
Jesus was equal with God. Jesus carried out many mighty works that only God could do.
Even so, at the same time as Jesus was God the Messiah (Lord and Savior), the memory of Jesus as God’s servant was still strong in the minds of the disciples.
Jesus did many mighty miraculous works, healing many people of their illnesses, driving out demons, calming storms and walking on water.
This shows the power of God, and power of Jesus as the Son of God.
And yet at the same time, Jesus had humbled himself and was always serving others, and this image of Jesus as a servant remained strongly imprinted in the minds of Peter and the disciples.
Peter is saying that even though our teacher, Jesus the Son of God, was the greatest of all, he was also God’s servant, and a servant to the point of serving others as well.
Peter must have also recalled Jesus’ teaching that they should be servants of one another also.
While Jesus was living amongst the disciples, He told them this (Mark 10:43~45):
whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
These were the words of Jesus. And these were not only words, but He Himself lived them out, living his life as a servant.,
The One who is God, who is King, the greatest One of all, made Himself a servant. The God of the Bible gave up his divine identity, becoming a servant of all and Himself serving others.
Believing in Jesus Christ is to welcome such a One into our hearts, as our God and as our Lord.
Since the One who humbled himself to be the lowest is our Lord and Savior, shall we not also strive to live as a servant on this earth, seeking to serve others?
Let’s read verse 16, the last verse in today’s passage.
16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.
This passage here tells us the truth that what saved this man who had always been unable to walk was the name of Jesus Christ, the faith that comes through Jesus Christ, the grace and power of Christ.
This is what all the people who were gathered there in the crowd needed to know.
Even the man whose legs were healed needed to rethink and know that what had made it possible for him to walk was the faith that comes through belief in the name of Jesus Christ (not through the power of man).
And so Peter made sure to repeatedly emphasize this point many times.
The name of Jesus Christ strengthens us. The faith given to us by Jesus gives us hope.
Each of us are faced with all kinds of troubles and suffering in our own lives.
In trying to solve our own difficult situations and escape from suffering, we often turn to all kinds of things or to other people to help save us.
Seeking help from other people is not a bad thing; in serving one another we also help one another.
But, the root cause of the serious problems that we are faced with on this earth is not something that can be solved by people or things (or even money).
The most fundamental problem we face is not knowing the Lord God and living our lives apart from Him.
In this world, we have pain, sadness and suffering. Even believing in God, sad things are still sad, painful things are still painful.
However, our faith that Jesus is with us, that the God of Immanuel (which means “God with us”) is with us, this gives us strength.
Even as we face pain and sorrow, we are able to live through the faith of hope that Jesus is with us.
In the same way that, in today’s passage, the name of Jesus Christ brought a man who had been lame to his feet, so too does Jesus surely give us the strength to keep rising to our feet in the midst of our troubles.
The Lord God, Jesus Christ, takes us by the hand, raises us to our feet, and walks alongside us.
And so, let us always believe in Jesus, the Lord Jesus Christ, and continue walking step by step on our life’s path with God and with our family in the faith.
Prelude
Call to Worship Malachi 4:2
Hymn JBC # 507 He leadeth me! O blessed tho’t!
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC # 278 There’s within my heart a melody
The Prayer Time
Offering
Scripture Acts 3:1～16
Prayer
Sermon “Be glory to his servant Jesus”
Prayer
Hymn JBC # 626 I gave My life for thee
Doxology JBC # 671
Benediction
Postlude
Today’s Bible passage starts with these words:
11 While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. (v.11)
The place mentioned here was Jerusalem’s temple. Peter and John were direct disciples of Jesus Christ, two of the group of disciples called the Twelve Apostles.
They came to take up a central role amongst the group of believers (the church) after Jesus Christ’s death on the cross, His resurrection and ascension to Heaven.
We first meet the man who was said to be “holding on to Peter and John” in the passage before today’s scripture reading.
This was the man who had been lame since birth, but was healed and became able to walk through his encounter with Peter and John.
This man was a beggar who, since he was born unable to walk, would always be carried and set down beside the temple gates where he would receive alms from passers-by.
He looked at Peter and John as they were going to enter the temple and, hoping to receive money, he begged them for alms. Peter told him this:
“Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” (v.6)
Having said this, Peter took him by the right hand, and the man stood up. The man’s legs were healed, he stood up straight and began dancing and praising God.
This brings us back to today’s passage, where the man who had been lame was healed, and “held on to Peter and John”.
The expression “hold on to” is normally not a positive one very much. “Hold on to” means to grab on to and not let go.
Although the man would have known that it was “in the name of Jesus Christ” that his legs were healed, he may have upheld Peter and John, who spoke the name of Jesus to him, as people of special importance, and maybe even respected or revered them.
And so, he was clinging on to Peter and John and couldn’t leave their side, and was holding on to them.
Perhaps the man was thinking “If you (Peter and John) are always near me, then I will be okay from now on”.
Today’s passage starts from where Peter is talking to the crowd that has gathered around them.
Peter is starting to tell them about what made it possible for this man who was born lame to be healed, for his legs to become stronger and for him to stand up and be dancing around.
First off, Peter tells them “It was not our (Peter and John’s) power that healed this man.”
This is what people were thinking. They were thinking that Peter and John must have some special power, and that is how the man’s legs were healed.
This is why Peter tells them:
“Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? (v.12)
It is a wondrous thing, that a man who had been lame since birth was able to stand up, that he was freed from his long years of suffering.
But, Peter did not want people to focus solely on the fact that his legs were healed and that he could walk, or on the impression that they had healed him.
Peter tells them of the One who makes such things possible, of the One who they all must know.
That One is Jesus Christ. As is written in verse 16, it is “by faith in the name of Jesus”, and the “faith that comes through Him”.
It is the faith that Jesus gives us that makes wonderful miracles happen. It is never by the power of man.
And so, if there is anyone who we should “hold on to”, anyone that we must “cling on” to, that person is Jesus Christ.
Today’s passage teaches us that we should not depend on or cling to any outstanding person, thing or money, but it is the Lord Jesus Christ that we should depend on and cling to.
In verse 13 of today’s passage, Peter says:
13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go.
The God who is made known to us through Jesus Christ is the “God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”. The God of the Bible is the God who, throughout history, chose the Israelites and revealed Himself to them.
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were names well known to the Jews as the names of their ancestors of faith.
Even for us now through the Bible (the Old Testament), we can see how God revealed Himself to Abraham and the ancestors of the Israelites.
It seems that some people have the impression that the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament are different gods, however the Bible tells us clearly that there is only one God.
The One who created Heaven, who created all the living things on earth, the One who revealed Himself to Abraham, to his son Isaac and to his son Jacob, is the same God as the One who revealed Himself as Jesus Christ, the one true God.
Let’s read verse 13 once more.
13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go.
Here, Jesus is called “his servant Jesus”, meaning that Jesus Christ was God’s servant.
Jesus was equal with God. Jesus carried out many mighty works that only God could do.
Even so, at the same time as Jesus was God the Messiah (Lord and Savior), the memory of Jesus as God’s servant was still strong in the minds of the disciples.
Jesus did many mighty miraculous works, healing many people of their illnesses, driving out demons, calming storms and walking on water.
This shows the power of God, and power of Jesus as the Son of God.
And yet at the same time, Jesus had humbled himself and was always serving others, and this image of Jesus as a servant remained strongly imprinted in the minds of Peter and the disciples.
Peter is saying that even though our teacher, Jesus the Son of God, was the greatest of all, he was also God’s servant, and a servant to the point of serving others as well.
Peter must have also recalled Jesus’ teaching that they should be servants of one another also.
While Jesus was living amongst the disciples, He told them this (Mark 10:43~45):
whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
These were the words of Jesus. And these were not only words, but He Himself lived them out, living his life as a servant.,
The One who is God, who is King, the greatest One of all, made Himself a servant. The God of the Bible gave up his divine identity, becoming a servant of all and Himself serving others.
Believing in Jesus Christ is to welcome such a One into our hearts, as our God and as our Lord.
Since the One who humbled himself to be the lowest is our Lord and Savior, shall we not also strive to live as a servant on this earth, seeking to serve others?
Let’s read verse 16, the last verse in today’s passage.
16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.
This passage here tells us the truth that what saved this man who had always been unable to walk was the name of Jesus Christ, the faith that comes through Jesus Christ, the grace and power of Christ.
This is what all the people who were gathered there in the crowd needed to know.
Even the man whose legs were healed needed to rethink and know that what had made it possible for him to walk was the faith that comes through belief in the name of Jesus Christ (not through the power of man).
And so Peter made sure to repeatedly emphasize this point many times.
The name of Jesus Christ strengthens us. The faith given to us by Jesus gives us hope.
Each of us are faced with all kinds of troubles and suffering in our own lives.
In trying to solve our own difficult situations and escape from suffering, we often turn to all kinds of things or to other people to help save us.
Seeking help from other people is not a bad thing; in serving one another we also help one another.
But, the root cause of the serious problems that we are faced with on this earth is not something that can be solved by people or things (or even money).
The most fundamental problem we face is not knowing the Lord God and living our lives apart from Him.
In this world, we have pain, sadness and suffering. Even believing in God, sad things are still sad, painful things are still painful.
However, our faith that Jesus is with us, that the God of Immanuel (which means “God with us”) is with us, this gives us strength.
Even as we face pain and sorrow, we are able to live through the faith of hope that Jesus is with us.
In the same way that, in today’s passage, the name of Jesus Christ brought a man who had been lame to his feet, so too does Jesus surely give us the strength to keep rising to our feet in the midst of our troubles.
The Lord God, Jesus Christ, takes us by the hand, raises us to our feet, and walks alongside us.
And so, let us always believe in Jesus, the Lord Jesus Christ, and continue walking step by step on our life’s path with God and with our family in the faith.
Saturday, June 28, 2025
Sunday Worship Service June 29, 2025
Prelude
Call to Worship Isaiah 55:12
Hymn JBC#61 Morning has broken like the first morning
The Lord’s Prayer
The Lord’s Supper
Hymn JBC # 262 Holy Spirit, breathe on me
Offering
Scripture Acts 3:1～21
Prayer
Sermon “Rise in the name of Jesus Christ”
Prayer
Hymn JBC #492 My hope is built on nothing less
Doxology JBC # 679
Benediction
Postlude
Welcome & Announcements
Since the beginning of this fiscal year (starting from April), we have been listening together to the words of ‘the Book of Acts’ as our worship message.
The beginning part of chapter 3 (verses 1-10) is given to us as our Bible verse for today.
Two men, Peter and John, went up to the temple for the afternoon 3 o' clock prayer time. During this time, the Jewish people had three times a day for prayer: 9AM in the morning, noon, and 3PM in the afternoon.
Praying and worshiping God can be done anytime and anywhere, as long as there is time. It is possible to pray even if it is not at a fixed time.
I believe that the Jewish people of that time, and the Christians who came to believe in Christ, also prayed alone and at their own convenient time.
However, the fact that Peter and John go up to the temple at the appointed time of prayer in today's passage shows that they regarded it important to observe both the appointed time of prayer and the temple as a place of prayer.
It is very important to regularly offer prayer and worship at the appointed times and in the appointed places.
It is also important for us Christians today. We can, of course, read, study the Bible, and pray at our own convenience.
But it is very important for our life of faith and for sharing God's grace together that we worship together at a mutually agreed upon time, at a fixed time, in a fixed place, as we do now, as a public worship service.
Rather than each of us putting our own lives first and worshiping God or reading the Bible IF we have extra time, we should set aside time from the beginning to devote to time with God and to worship together with our brothers and sisters in faith.
It is important to offer our lives to God first and to align ourselves (dedicate) ourselves to God, not to make God conform to our convenience.
In our church's weekly bulletin, we are informed of the next week's Bible verses and hymns that we will be singing.
If possible, I would like to encourage everyone to read the Bible verses (and hymns, too) in advance to prepare spiritually for the next week's service.
It would be a power and blessing for our whole church if you could remember the next week's service and pray from the week before, praying that the message we need for that new week will be given to us through those verses.
This is a story I heard at my home church. One of the older church members, in order to attend Sunday services, would start getting in shape from a week before.
I guess if you are young you do not have to prepare so far in advance, but in that person’s case, the person needed to get in shape to be able to go to the service a week in advance.
I think that is a lovely thing, and a happy thing to do as a believer. Because it seems to me that it is a God-centered, worship-centered joyful life.
Just as athletes prepare for the day of a game by getting into top physical condition, I hope that we can also prepare for our worship of God with that same level of preparation and prayer.
In today's scene, John and Peter are at the gate of the temple (the gate called Beautiful) where they meet a man who is lame since birth.
The place of prayer and worship is also the place where we meet each other. We are called by God to meet one another, meet new people, too and that is the Church.
It is written that the man who was born lame was brought there daily and placed “by the gate” so that he could beg for alms from others who came to the temple. He was there so that he could beg for money from others who came to the temple.
The man saw Peter and John about to enter the temple courts and asked for money.
Then it is written that Peter and John “looked straight at” him (verse 4).
Peter and John could have walked quickly past the lame man.
Or they could have finished their conversation as quickly as possible (or given him some money, if they had any) and hurried on to pray, the very purpose of their visit to the temple.
But Peter and John stared at the man. When Peter and John looked at the lame man, I think it means that they tried to understand him as much as possible.
They took time to get to know the person, what kind of person he was, what kind of situation he was in, and what he was thinking.
I often judge others based only on what I see on the surface, and do not try to understand their deeper circumstances or what is in their hearts.
It is difficult, but I think it is important for us to face people sincerely and firmly.
Peter looked at the lame man and said, "Look at us”.
These words of Peter indicate that he was trying to show the man the honestly who they are without adorning themselves (not trying to look themselves better).
Both Peter and John were former fishermen from Galilee
Peter might have wanted to say to the lame man, "I want you to see us well. We are not very rich, nor are we particularly learned. We don't have any special talents or great things."
But Peter puts it this way.
“Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”
Gold and silver (money) are necessary for life. I do not think Peter is denying that.
But then Peter was convinced that, "What this lame man needs now is faith in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. That faith will sustain this person for the rest of his life. And Jesus will surely give him the strength to stand up too."
Then Peter took the man by the right hand and helped him up, written in verse 7. The casual action of Peter taking the man's right hand is also important.
Peter made known the name of the true God, the name of the One who is truly powerful to that man, by saying, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."
By taking his right hand, Peter also helped the man to believe in the name of God and to stand up.
Peter told the man the name of Jesus Christ and helped him in any way he could. He did all this while trusting in God.
We, too, wish to share God's name and do evangelistic work, while actually helping others through what we can do.
We can still hear Peter's words as words of encouragement and faith to us; “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”
Some of you may be in various difficult and painful situations right now.
Even if it is not actually being lame, there may be people who are having difficulty “standing up and walking” mentally and spiritually.
At such times, my hope is that we can encourage each other in the name of Christ and, if necessary, take each other's hands and help each other to get up on our feet.
It is the Lord Jesus Christ (“Jesus of Nazareth” in the sense that He lived as a man) who truly makes us stand.
Even when we fall down, even when we are about to run out of strength and can no longer stand up by ourselves, Christ is with us.
Jesus is always there by our side, gently taking our hands and helping us to get back up and walk again after we have fallen.
Jesus walks with us. Therefore, we want to encourage one another, believing that Jesus Christ gives us hope and strength.
This lame man danced up, stood up, and began to walk. He walked and danced and praised God. What an expression of great joy!
This man must have been so happy. It was such a joyous event to be made known to God and to receive the power from God to actually stand up.
The man was so happy that he expressed his joy to the point of dancing, praising God as much as he could with all his strength.
Our place of worship is also a place where we can express our joy and gratitude for our salvation.
Therefore, I hope that we will offer a worship service that is overflowing with gratitude and joy that we have been saved by the God of Jesus Christ and that we have received the strength to rise up and walk daily.
Whether we actually dance or not, if we can confirm that “worship is a place of joy and gladness,” we hope it will be transmitted to others as a natural joy.
Let me read the last verse of today's passage (verse 10).
they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Those who had seen and known the lame man, who had been sitting by the “Gate called Beautiful” and asking for money, were astonished to see him standing up and praising God.
It must have been simple wonder that something so impossible could have happened.
But we know that the event at which they were so surprised was made possible by God's grace and power.
We are told by today's passage of the truth of hope that the name of Jesus Christ, the power of Christ, can change us so much. We can be changed by God.
We can rise again from the fallen by the power of Christ.
Even though we may not fall now, we are able to live and walk in life every day because Christ gives us that strength and gives us life.
We want to believe again and again, "It is the grace of Jesus that supports me, helps me, empowers me, makes me stand up, makes me walk, and allows me to live."
And if we truly believe this, then our figure of ourselves as such (living joyfully and encouraged by Christ) will be a great surprise to others and will communicate God's grace and power to them as well.
Let us walk daily in faith, offering joy, thanksgiving, and praise to the God of Jesus Christ, the source of our strength.
Prelude
Call to Worship Isaiah 55:12
Hymn JBC#61 Morning has broken like the first morning
The Lord’s Prayer
The Lord’s Supper
Hymn JBC # 262 Holy Spirit, breathe on me
Offering
Scripture Acts 3:1～21
Prayer
Sermon “Rise in the name of Jesus Christ”
Prayer
Hymn JBC #492 My hope is built on nothing less
Doxology JBC # 679
Benediction
Postlude
Welcome & Announcements
Since the beginning of this fiscal year (starting from April), we have been listening together to the words of ‘the Book of Acts’ as our worship message.
The beginning part of chapter 3 (verses 1-10) is given to us as our Bible verse for today.
Two men, Peter and John, went up to the temple for the afternoon 3 o' clock prayer time. During this time, the Jewish people had three times a day for prayer: 9AM in the morning, noon, and 3PM in the afternoon.
Praying and worshiping God can be done anytime and anywhere, as long as there is time. It is possible to pray even if it is not at a fixed time.
I believe that the Jewish people of that time, and the Christians who came to believe in Christ, also prayed alone and at their own convenient time.
However, the fact that Peter and John go up to the temple at the appointed time of prayer in today's passage shows that they regarded it important to observe both the appointed time of prayer and the temple as a place of prayer.
It is very important to regularly offer prayer and worship at the appointed times and in the appointed places.
It is also important for us Christians today. We can, of course, read, study the Bible, and pray at our own convenience.
But it is very important for our life of faith and for sharing God's grace together that we worship together at a mutually agreed upon time, at a fixed time, in a fixed place, as we do now, as a public worship service.
Rather than each of us putting our own lives first and worshiping God or reading the Bible IF we have extra time, we should set aside time from the beginning to devote to time with God and to worship together with our brothers and sisters in faith.
It is important to offer our lives to God first and to align ourselves (dedicate) ourselves to God, not to make God conform to our convenience.
In our church's weekly bulletin, we are informed of the next week's Bible verses and hymns that we will be singing.
If possible, I would like to encourage everyone to read the Bible verses (and hymns, too) in advance to prepare spiritually for the next week's service.
It would be a power and blessing for our whole church if you could remember the next week's service and pray from the week before, praying that the message we need for that new week will be given to us through those verses.
This is a story I heard at my home church. One of the older church members, in order to attend Sunday services, would start getting in shape from a week before.
I guess if you are young you do not have to prepare so far in advance, but in that person’s case, the person needed to get in shape to be able to go to the service a week in advance.
I think that is a lovely thing, and a happy thing to do as a believer. Because it seems to me that it is a God-centered, worship-centered joyful life.
Just as athletes prepare for the day of a game by getting into top physical condition, I hope that we can also prepare for our worship of God with that same level of preparation and prayer.
In today's scene, John and Peter are at the gate of the temple (the gate called Beautiful) where they meet a man who is lame since birth.
The place of prayer and worship is also the place where we meet each other. We are called by God to meet one another, meet new people, too and that is the Church.
It is written that the man who was born lame was brought there daily and placed “by the gate” so that he could beg for alms from others who came to the temple. He was there so that he could beg for money from others who came to the temple.
The man saw Peter and John about to enter the temple courts and asked for money.
Then it is written that Peter and John “looked straight at” him (verse 4).
Peter and John could have walked quickly past the lame man.
Or they could have finished their conversation as quickly as possible (or given him some money, if they had any) and hurried on to pray, the very purpose of their visit to the temple.
But Peter and John stared at the man. When Peter and John looked at the lame man, I think it means that they tried to understand him as much as possible.
They took time to get to know the person, what kind of person he was, what kind of situation he was in, and what he was thinking.
I often judge others based only on what I see on the surface, and do not try to understand their deeper circumstances or what is in their hearts.
It is difficult, but I think it is important for us to face people sincerely and firmly.
Peter looked at the lame man and said, "Look at us”.
These words of Peter indicate that he was trying to show the man the honestly who they are without adorning themselves (not trying to look themselves better).
Both Peter and John were former fishermen from Galilee
Peter might have wanted to say to the lame man, "I want you to see us well. We are not very rich, nor are we particularly learned. We don't have any special talents or great things."
But Peter puts it this way.
“Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”
Gold and silver (money) are necessary for life. I do not think Peter is denying that.
But then Peter was convinced that, "What this lame man needs now is faith in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. That faith will sustain this person for the rest of his life. And Jesus will surely give him the strength to stand up too."
Then Peter took the man by the right hand and helped him up, written in verse 7. The casual action of Peter taking the man's right hand is also important.
Peter made known the name of the true God, the name of the One who is truly powerful to that man, by saying, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."
By taking his right hand, Peter also helped the man to believe in the name of God and to stand up.
Peter told the man the name of Jesus Christ and helped him in any way he could. He did all this while trusting in God.
We, too, wish to share God's name and do evangelistic work, while actually helping others through what we can do.
We can still hear Peter's words as words of encouragement and faith to us; “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”
Some of you may be in various difficult and painful situations right now.
Even if it is not actually being lame, there may be people who are having difficulty “standing up and walking” mentally and spiritually.
At such times, my hope is that we can encourage each other in the name of Christ and, if necessary, take each other's hands and help each other to get up on our feet.
It is the Lord Jesus Christ (“Jesus of Nazareth” in the sense that He lived as a man) who truly makes us stand.
Even when we fall down, even when we are about to run out of strength and can no longer stand up by ourselves, Christ is with us.
Jesus is always there by our side, gently taking our hands and helping us to get back up and walk again after we have fallen.
Jesus walks with us. Therefore, we want to encourage one another, believing that Jesus Christ gives us hope and strength.
This lame man danced up, stood up, and began to walk. He walked and danced and praised God. What an expression of great joy!
This man must have been so happy. It was such a joyous event to be made known to God and to receive the power from God to actually stand up.
The man was so happy that he expressed his joy to the point of dancing, praising God as much as he could with all his strength.
Our place of worship is also a place where we can express our joy and gratitude for our salvation.
Therefore, I hope that we will offer a worship service that is overflowing with gratitude and joy that we have been saved by the God of Jesus Christ and that we have received the strength to rise up and walk daily.
Whether we actually dance or not, if we can confirm that “worship is a place of joy and gladness,” we hope it will be transmitted to others as a natural joy.
Let me read the last verse of today's passage (verse 10).
they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Those who had seen and known the lame man, who had been sitting by the “Gate called Beautiful” and asking for money, were astonished to see him standing up and praising God.
It must have been simple wonder that something so impossible could have happened.
But we know that the event at which they were so surprised was made possible by God's grace and power.
We are told by today's passage of the truth of hope that the name of Jesus Christ, the power of Christ, can change us so much. We can be changed by God.
We can rise again from the fallen by the power of Christ.
Even though we may not fall now, we are able to live and walk in life every day because Christ gives us that strength and gives us life.
We want to believe again and again, "It is the grace of Jesus that supports me, helps me, empowers me, makes me stand up, makes me walk, and allows me to live."
And if we truly believe this, then our figure of ourselves as such (living joyfully and encouraged by Christ) will be a great surprise to others and will communicate God's grace and power to them as well.
Let us walk daily in faith, offering joy, thanksgiving, and praise to the God of Jesus Christ, the source of our strength.
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Sunday Worship Service June 22, 2025
Prelude
Call to Worship Deuteronomy 14:2
Hymn JBC# 327 Lead on, O King eternal
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC # 262 Holy Spirit, breathe on me
Offering
Scripture 1 Peter 2:9～12
Sermon “Chosen according to God's purpose”
Prayer
Hymn JBC # 618 Love divine, all loves excelling
Doxology JBC # 679 Living for Jesus
Closing Prayer
Postlude
Welcome & Announcements
Hymn JBC # 618 Love divine, all loves excelling
Doxology JBC # 679 Living for Jesus
Closing Prayer
Postlude
Welcome & Announcements
*message texts not uploaded today due to a lay sermon.
Saturday, June 14, 2025
Sunday Worship Service June 25, 2025
Prelude
Call to Worship Proverb 22:9
Hymn JBC# 120 Praise to the Lord Almighty
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC # 262 Holy Spirit, breathe on me
Offering
Scripture Acts 2:43～47
Sermon “Life of the Believers”
Prayer
Hymn JBC # 19 Love divine, all loves excelling
Doxology JBC # 679
Benediction
Postlude
Welcome & Announcements
The Bible passage given to us today begins with the words “Everyone was filled with awe (*”fear” in other translations) at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ”
It says that many wonders and signs were performed by the apostles of Christ, and everyone was filled with “fear” at the sight.
Jesus Christ rose from the grave (from the dead) and revealed himself to his disciples.
Jesus Christ, who was completely sinless, bore the sins of humanity and was crucified (killed).
Through Christ's death, we are forgiven of our sins and were able to receive true life (eternal life) and were able to live.
Having received eternal life, we can say that those who believe in Christ no longer need to fear death. What a blessing!
On Sunday, the day of the Lord's resurrection, Christians still gather for worship, remembering the Lord's resurrection and receiving from the resurrected Lord the power to live and the grace of eternal life.
Once again, Jesus died on the cross and was buried in the tomb.
However, Jesus did not remain dead, as the Bible (Psalms) says, “He was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay.”
That Christ would never remain dead was foretold through the words of Old Testament prophecy.
After appearing to his disciples for about 40 days after his resurrection and encouraging them, Jesus ascended again to heaven.
Before He ascended into heaven, Jesus promised His disciples, "The Holy Spirit will fall on you. When the Holy Spirit falls on you, you will receive power.” (Acts 1:8)
And as promised, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples, and they began to speak of the great works of God in various foreign languages, and they began to do many other wondrous works, too. (We celebrated the events of Pentecost last week)
Seeing what had happened, today’s passage says, “Everyone was filled with awe”, or in other translations of the Bible, “fear came upon all.” What kind of fear was this?
“Fear” is one of the most important elements of the Christian faith. Once again we need to know the fear of the Lord God.
Through Jesus, we are made known to God our Heavenly Father. Through Jesus, we know the infinite love of God and are greatly comforted.
For Jesus, the Son of God, has delivered us from sin in exchange for His own life.
That love of Jesus is truly unlimited, and we humans can never fully know the magnitude of that love.
When we are touched by such deep love and the essence of God, we become deeply grateful for the blessings we receive, but at the same time we also come to feel fear.
One of the indicators of whether or not a Christian believes in and lives according to the true God of the Bible is whether or not he or she has this "fear of the Lord God.”
I dare say that God is "terrifying One”. By terrifying, I mean that God completely transcends us in everything, including our thoughts and ideas.
We can never know everything about God, much less the things we stand above Him and dictate to Him.
However, isn’t it the case without our noticing well that we are demanding various things to God as if doing so are our legitimate rights.
God is the One to be feared. The fear is to "honor God and recognize His greatness and immeasurability.”
In Old Testament times, Moses was the man chosen by God to deliver the Israelites from Egypt, where they had lived in slavery for about 400 years.
When the Lord God first appeared to Moses, the Lord spoke to him, “Moses, Moses” (Exodus Chapter 3).
Then God spoke to Moses, saying, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
Then “Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God,” the passage (Exodus 3:6) says.
Hearing God's voice, being made known to God, inherently causes so much fear in us.
We know that "God is love”. However, we want once again to remind ourselves of the fear toward God, that God is the one whom we should fear.
We should be afraid when we remember the immeasurable power of the One who created everything in the world, heaven and earth, ordained all the laws of nature, and made all of us alive.
We should be afraid that we will never be able to stand before Him.
When we lose our fear of the Lord, we become arrogant, we think we know everything, and we become self-centered in many things.
To fear the Lord is also to know (or admit) that we know nothing. The Apostle Paul said the following.
He says, “Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know.”
(1 Corinthians 8:2).
Knowing that we know nothing forces us to be humble. And we become willing to be constantly taught, both by God and by others.
So we always need to listen to one another and teach one another. For one person's understanding and faith are limited. For we are the ones who "do not yet know what we need to know.
When Christians in faith honor one another, listen to one another, teach one another, and fellowship with one another, the love of God is at the center of such fellowship.
Paradoxically, having fear of God leads to knowing God's love and love for others as well.
Let us always humble ourselves before God, acknowledge His immense power, and know that we rightly fear Him. Let us also receive with gratitude the love of God that is made known to us at the same time.
In today's passage, we read that the apostles (disciples of Christ) “were all one, having all things in common, selling their possessions and belongings, and sharing them with one another according to their own needs.”
This was the early Christian community filled with the love of Christ. How was it possible to have everything in common?
That is why they believed that "all things are given to us by God.” When we are proud of our own strength, we think that what we have earned with our own abilities is our own.
But if we believe that “we are created by God and made alive by God’s mercy,” we are given the faith that "everything is a God-given gift.”
When we receive the faith that “everything is a gift from God,” we are freed from attachment to our possessions, our talents, or ourselves.
The Bible tells us that when we live by the faith that “everything is a gift from God,” then we can share what we need with one another.
And in today's passage, when it says that “the apostles all shared in one another's needs,” it means that they knew who needed what from one another.
There was a kindness among them that showed consideration for each other, and a relationship of trust was also built between them that allowed those in need to ask for help.
We hope to build a community where we can share with each other and where those who are in need can call out for help, based on the love we receive from Jesus.
Let’s read verses 46~47
46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
They were "enjoying the favor of all the people.” Why was this?
The reason was that the apostles (disciples and believers) had gathered together in faith, and they were "praising God.”
When Christ's followers gather by faith, there God is praised (glorified and worshipped). And such an appearance has won the favor of many people.
Here is what is important, or we can say even only one thing that is important in evangelizing Christ.
It means that when believers praise God genuinely and sincerely, such an appearance captures the hearts of those who do not know God, too.
To praise God is also to seek His glory, to attribute glory to Him.
The theme of our church this year is “All for the Glory of the Lord God”. This theme condenses the mission and purpose of the Christian faith.
We do not seek the glory of ourselves or of our church, but only the glory of the Lord God of Jesus Christ.
Let us ask that only the God of Christ be praised. Let us desire it with all our hearts.
It is the supreme joy and blessedness for the believer that God is praised and all glory is attributed to Him, and God's praise is the most powerful way in which His gospel is preached.
And at the end of today's passage, we read, “The Lord added to them daily those who were being saved, and made them one.”
When believers in Christ gather together under the Lord's grace and love, united in the thought that all is given to us by God, when we share and help one another, and when we praise the Lord, He will add daily those who will be saved.
There are many around us who must be saved by the grace of Christ and should be fellow members of the community of faith.
Remembering that there are many such people, let us once again have a “fear” of the great God, but let us also be kept alive in His love and mercy.
When we love, share, and help one another by faith, God is praised and glory is returned to Him. And one by one, people who come to believe in the Lord will surely be arised.
Encouraged by such a picture (vision) of gospel evangelism as conveyed in the Acts of the Apostles, we, too, hope to live a life of faith daily living and sharing the gospel.
Prelude
Call to Worship Proverb 22:9
Hymn JBC# 120 Praise to the Lord Almighty
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC # 262 Holy Spirit, breathe on me
Offering
Scripture Acts 2:43～47
Sermon “Life of the Believers”
Prayer
Hymn JBC # 19 Love divine, all loves excelling
Doxology JBC # 679
Benediction
Postlude
Welcome & Announcements
The Bible passage given to us today begins with the words “Everyone was filled with awe (*”fear” in other translations) at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ”
It says that many wonders and signs were performed by the apostles of Christ, and everyone was filled with “fear” at the sight.
Jesus Christ rose from the grave (from the dead) and revealed himself to his disciples.
Jesus Christ, who was completely sinless, bore the sins of humanity and was crucified (killed).
Through Christ's death, we are forgiven of our sins and were able to receive true life (eternal life) and were able to live.
Having received eternal life, we can say that those who believe in Christ no longer need to fear death. What a blessing!
On Sunday, the day of the Lord's resurrection, Christians still gather for worship, remembering the Lord's resurrection and receiving from the resurrected Lord the power to live and the grace of eternal life.
Once again, Jesus died on the cross and was buried in the tomb.
However, Jesus did not remain dead, as the Bible (Psalms) says, “He was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay.”
That Christ would never remain dead was foretold through the words of Old Testament prophecy.
After appearing to his disciples for about 40 days after his resurrection and encouraging them, Jesus ascended again to heaven.
Before He ascended into heaven, Jesus promised His disciples, "The Holy Spirit will fall on you. When the Holy Spirit falls on you, you will receive power.” (Acts 1:8)
And as promised, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples, and they began to speak of the great works of God in various foreign languages, and they began to do many other wondrous works, too. (We celebrated the events of Pentecost last week)
Seeing what had happened, today’s passage says, “Everyone was filled with awe”, or in other translations of the Bible, “fear came upon all.” What kind of fear was this?
“Fear” is one of the most important elements of the Christian faith. Once again we need to know the fear of the Lord God.
Through Jesus, we are made known to God our Heavenly Father. Through Jesus, we know the infinite love of God and are greatly comforted.
For Jesus, the Son of God, has delivered us from sin in exchange for His own life.
That love of Jesus is truly unlimited, and we humans can never fully know the magnitude of that love.
When we are touched by such deep love and the essence of God, we become deeply grateful for the blessings we receive, but at the same time we also come to feel fear.
One of the indicators of whether or not a Christian believes in and lives according to the true God of the Bible is whether or not he or she has this "fear of the Lord God.”
I dare say that God is "terrifying One”. By terrifying, I mean that God completely transcends us in everything, including our thoughts and ideas.
We can never know everything about God, much less the things we stand above Him and dictate to Him.
However, isn’t it the case without our noticing well that we are demanding various things to God as if doing so are our legitimate rights.
God is the One to be feared. The fear is to "honor God and recognize His greatness and immeasurability.”
In Old Testament times, Moses was the man chosen by God to deliver the Israelites from Egypt, where they had lived in slavery for about 400 years.
When the Lord God first appeared to Moses, the Lord spoke to him, “Moses, Moses” (Exodus Chapter 3).
Then God spoke to Moses, saying, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
Then “Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God,” the passage (Exodus 3:6) says.
Hearing God's voice, being made known to God, inherently causes so much fear in us.
We know that "God is love”. However, we want once again to remind ourselves of the fear toward God, that God is the one whom we should fear.
We should be afraid when we remember the immeasurable power of the One who created everything in the world, heaven and earth, ordained all the laws of nature, and made all of us alive.
We should be afraid that we will never be able to stand before Him.
When we lose our fear of the Lord, we become arrogant, we think we know everything, and we become self-centered in many things.
To fear the Lord is also to know (or admit) that we know nothing. The Apostle Paul said the following.
He says, “Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know.”
(1 Corinthians 8:2).
Knowing that we know nothing forces us to be humble. And we become willing to be constantly taught, both by God and by others.
So we always need to listen to one another and teach one another. For one person's understanding and faith are limited. For we are the ones who "do not yet know what we need to know.
When Christians in faith honor one another, listen to one another, teach one another, and fellowship with one another, the love of God is at the center of such fellowship.
Paradoxically, having fear of God leads to knowing God's love and love for others as well.
Let us always humble ourselves before God, acknowledge His immense power, and know that we rightly fear Him. Let us also receive with gratitude the love of God that is made known to us at the same time.
In today's passage, we read that the apostles (disciples of Christ) “were all one, having all things in common, selling their possessions and belongings, and sharing them with one another according to their own needs.”
This was the early Christian community filled with the love of Christ. How was it possible to have everything in common?
That is why they believed that "all things are given to us by God.” When we are proud of our own strength, we think that what we have earned with our own abilities is our own.
But if we believe that “we are created by God and made alive by God’s mercy,” we are given the faith that "everything is a God-given gift.”
When we receive the faith that “everything is a gift from God,” we are freed from attachment to our possessions, our talents, or ourselves.
The Bible tells us that when we live by the faith that “everything is a gift from God,” then we can share what we need with one another.
And in today's passage, when it says that “the apostles all shared in one another's needs,” it means that they knew who needed what from one another.
There was a kindness among them that showed consideration for each other, and a relationship of trust was also built between them that allowed those in need to ask for help.
We hope to build a community where we can share with each other and where those who are in need can call out for help, based on the love we receive from Jesus.
Let’s read verses 46~47
46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
They were "enjoying the favor of all the people.” Why was this?
The reason was that the apostles (disciples and believers) had gathered together in faith, and they were "praising God.”
When Christ's followers gather by faith, there God is praised (glorified and worshipped). And such an appearance has won the favor of many people.
Here is what is important, or we can say even only one thing that is important in evangelizing Christ.
It means that when believers praise God genuinely and sincerely, such an appearance captures the hearts of those who do not know God, too.
To praise God is also to seek His glory, to attribute glory to Him.
The theme of our church this year is “All for the Glory of the Lord God”. This theme condenses the mission and purpose of the Christian faith.
We do not seek the glory of ourselves or of our church, but only the glory of the Lord God of Jesus Christ.
Let us ask that only the God of Christ be praised. Let us desire it with all our hearts.
It is the supreme joy and blessedness for the believer that God is praised and all glory is attributed to Him, and God's praise is the most powerful way in which His gospel is preached.
And at the end of today's passage, we read, “The Lord added to them daily those who were being saved, and made them one.”
When believers in Christ gather together under the Lord's grace and love, united in the thought that all is given to us by God, when we share and help one another, and when we praise the Lord, He will add daily those who will be saved.
There are many around us who must be saved by the grace of Christ and should be fellow members of the community of faith.
Remembering that there are many such people, let us once again have a “fear” of the great God, but let us also be kept alive in His love and mercy.
When we love, share, and help one another by faith, God is praised and glory is returned to Him. And one by one, people who come to believe in the Lord will surely be arised.
Encouraged by such a picture (vision) of gospel evangelism as conveyed in the Acts of the Apostles, we, too, hope to live a life of faith daily living and sharing the gospel.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)